THE PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY
Go beyond the view
Photograph Indonesia's volcanic basins, rainforest, coastlines and rice terraces. At Mount Bromo, explore the crater landscape and changing light. Volcanic activity, access and photography locations depend on local conditions; visible lava is not guaranteed.
About the route
Borobudur | Mount Sumbing | Mount Bromo Tumpak Sewu Waterfall | De Djawatan Forest | Nusa Penida Explore Java's temples, volcanoes, waterfalls and forests alongside Nusa Penida's coastal landscapes. The route combines landscape and documentary photography. Volcanic access and photography arrangements depend on local conditions.
Mount Bromo
Mount Bromo presents a starkly different scene: its immense volcanic basin is dark and deep, with a crater that seems bottomless. The volcanic basin and rugged terrain form a striking landscape. Specific viewpoints and photography arrangements await confirmation by the operator. The scene resembles an astonishing end-of-the-world landscape from a film.
Mount Sumbing
The itinerary plans sunrise photography at Mount Sumbing, followed by a visit to Nepal van Java village. The viewpoint, transport arrangements and any hiking or climbing await confirmation by the operator.
Borobudur
Morning light breaks through the Javanese mist as the world's largest Buddhist monument emerges among volcanoes and clouds. Built in the 9th century under the Sailendra dynasty, this sanctuary has 504 Buddha statues and 2,672 relief panels. Its ascending stone terraces form a three-dimensional Buddhist narrative, from the Jataka stories below to the serene upper levels. As golden sunrise reaches the upper stupas, shafts of light seem to bring the statues to life. Weathered stone evokes changing dynasties and intertwined religious traditions. Looking out across rice fields and volcanoes from the summit, the monument feels like a spiritual home preserved for a thousand years.
Tumpak Sewu Waterfall
Tumpak Sewu is a spectacular East Javanese landscape and one of Indonesia's most impressive waterfalls. Fed from the slopes of Mount Semeru, Java's highest peak, streams plunge over a broad escarpment to create a dramatic semicircular curtain of water, also described locally as a thousand-tiered waterfall.
De Djawatan Forest
Step into Java's De Djawatan Forest and enter a fantasy reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings. Century-old rain trees twist like giant serpents, while ferns and vines weave a green canopy. Flecks of golden light fall onto moss-covered paths.
Nusa Penida
Southeast of Bali, Nusa Penida offers contrasts between cliffs, beaches and blue water. At Kelingking Beach, a headland resembles a Tyrannosaurus rex. Photograph the coastline from designated viewpoints. Photo by Serene Broken Beach offers a natural coastal arch and bay, with compositions formed by the arch, surf and rock walls.
Trip highlights
Landscape and aerial photography Explore Java's volcanoes, waterfalls and daily life alongside Nusa Penida's coast. Instructors who have researched the route provide photography guidance, image reviews and post-processing advice. Drone flights must comply with local permissions and conditions; photographic results are not guaranteed.
The journey in pictures
Photographers linked to this route: Owen Ou →
Itinerary images · Select a photo to enlarge
PHOTOGRAPHY LEADERS
A different way of seeing
Owen Ou
Graduated from the Photography Department of South China Normal University in 2009. Specializes in landscapes, property environments and commercial portraiture. He has worked with the Shenzhen procuratorate, land bureau, Shenzhen Library, cultural centers, China Merchants Bank, Standard Chartered, Agricultural Bank of China, China Telecom, China Mobile, Guosen Securities, Topway Video, and BMW and Porsche owners' clubs. Photography journeys He regularly leads organizations and photography schools on trips to the Balkans, Iceland, Germany, Greenland, Cuba, South Korea, Canada, Kenya, Laos, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Morocco, Mexico, Namibia, Nepal, Japan, Chiang Mai, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, Semporna and New Zealand. Chinese destinations include Anhui, Beijing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Henan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Sichuan, Suzhou, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Yunnan and Zhejiang. Selected awards Outstanding Work award at the 2009 Pingyao International Photography Festival; silver in the art category of the 2014 Guangdong provincial exhibition; gold in the monochrome category of the 2014 Al-Thani International Photography Competition; Zeyida Photography Club's 2022 Outstanding Instructor award and a 2023 instructor appointment issued in 2022; Fujifilm's 2022–23 Club Gardener Award, received in 2023.
THE DAYS AHEAD
A rhythm shaped by light
DAY 01May 17 · Asia/JakartaDay 1: May 17 — Various departure points–Borobudur
Airport pickup according to flight details, then check into a hotel in the area near Borobudur. Flight arrangements: May 17: Shenzhen–Singapore SQ857/02:05/06:10 May 17: Singapore–Yogyakarta SQ8660/08:05/09:30
DAY 02May 18 · Asia/JakartaDay 2: May 18 — Sunrise at Mount Sumbing–Nepal van Java village–Prambanan
Rise in the morning to photograph sunrise at Mount Sumbing and nearby villages, then visit Kedung Kayang Waterfall. Water plunges from basalt cliffs into a deep pool, raising pearl-like spray. Sunlight through gaps in the forest weaves a wavering halo around the falls. Volcanoes, terraces, and waterfalls compose Central Java's earthly trio, moving between stillness and grandeur. After lunch, travel to Prambanan, prepare to photograph, and wait for sunset. In golden dusk, Prambanan becomes a magnificent painting steeped in time. As the setting sun wraps ancient stone temples in amber light, intricate Ramayana reliefs seem to awaken on their walls. In the distance, Mount Merapi's outline appears through dusk, joining the layered temple towers nearby in a grand dialogue between earth and sky. The shutter records not only a miracle of Javanese architecture but a dynasty's silent story across a thousand years.
DAY 03May 19 · Asia/JakartaDay 3: May 19 — Borobudur sunrise–Solo Mosque
Rise early and head to a high viewpoint opposite Borobudur to photograph the temple amid dense forest, with famous Mount Merapi in the distance. Morning mist veils the temple and the surrounding forest is mysterious and quiet. After breakfast, visit Borobudur to photograph its morning scenery. Then travel to Solo and visit the Surakarta mosque. Through your lens, capture intricate Javanese carving and timeless Islamic geometry, including the harmonious combination of traditional multi-tiered tajug roofs and geometric patterns. Explore the mosque's architectural beauty and Surakarta's inclusiveness as an ancient cultural capital. The old mosque holds a tranquil Javanese spirit; in this thousand-year-old royal city, encounter its stillness and splendor.
DAY 04May 20 · Asia/JakartaDay 4: May 20 — Solo Palace–Drive to Bromo, 6 hours
In Indonesia's cultural heart of Solo, or Surakarta, Keraton Surakarta Hadiningrat still protects the ancient spirit of Javanese royalty. Established in the 18th century, this palace is both the sultan's residence and a living museum, every stone inscribed with Javanese civilization's elegance and mystery. Drive to the hotel in Bromo. At Lava View, face the volcanic cone directly with unobstructed views of sulfurous smoke billowing from the crater.
DAY 05May 21 · Asia/JakartaDay 5: May 21 — Sunrise at King Kong Hill–Sunset at the crater–Fire dance performance
Mount Bromo is breathtakingly beautiful. Within the vast caldera of ancient Mount Tengger, Bromo is surrounded by an immense sea of volcanic sand, radiating mysterious beauty. The region is also home to the Tenggerese, who preserve ancient traditions and ways of life. Photograph Bromo's magnificent scenery again at sunset. At the crater rim, capture golden sunset light interwoven with sulfurous smoke, while fire performers dance in silhouette, creating 'the twin flames of nature and culture.' As Bromo's sunset ignites the sky, human flames awaken too. On the crater's edge, dancers turn ancient legends into spinning rings of fire; your lens alone can freeze this resonance of earth and sky.
DAY 06May 22 · Asia/JakartaDay 6: May 22 — Sunrise at Perahu viewpoint–Travel to the Sewu hotel (5 hours' drive)
Photograph volcanic sunrise again in the morning and wait for a sea of clouds. Capture the first sunlight's warm tones on the cone against cool clouds. From above, photograph the volcanoes amid moving clouds, revealing the earth's structure. Stand on the 'boat among clouds' and wait for an epic dialogue between volcano and light.
DAY 07May 23 · Asia/JakartaDay 7: May 23 — Sunrise photography in the town near Mount Semeru–Tumpak Sewu Waterfall–Hotel in Banyuwangi (7–8 hours' drive)
Leave in the morning for sunrise in the town near Mount Semeru. As dusk closes in, follow ridges through waving rice fields toward the town. Farmers hurry home barefoot over wet earth, with dim yellow lights gradually appearing behind them. In the distance, Mount Semeru reveals a blue-green outline in the morning glow, faint smoke still curling from its erupted crater and quietly mingling with village cooking smoke in the dusk. Erupting volcano and tranquil rice fields form a remarkable coexistence, as though time has slowed. Tumpak Sewu is an exceptionally captivating waterfall, backed by active Mount Semeru and enchanting in morning light. The best way to photograph it is by drone from above, including both waterfall and volcano. Java's spectacular 'thousand-layer falls' reveal dozens of cascades weaving a network inside a horseshoe-shaped gorge.
DAY 08May 24 · Asia/JakartaDay 8: May 24 — Rest during the day–After lunch, photograph the Lord of the Rings Forest–Hotel in Banyuwangi
Photograph the enormous tangled trunks and hanging vines of century-old banyans to evoke Fangorn Forest from The Lord of the Rings. Use morning mist or the evening Tyndall effect to let light pierce the canopy in mysterious beams. Enter Java's 'Middle-earth': when mist wraps thousand-year-old trees and vines hang like elven harps, the forest needs only a hobbit to recreate the legend perfectly.
DAY 09May 25 · Asia/JakartaDay 9: May 25 — Ijen volcano photography–Boat from Banyuwangi–Ubud, Bali
Leave before dawn for Ijen, an active volcano with an exceptional summit crater lake and extraordinary blue fire! Sunrise offers the best photography opportunity. Fly drones from the crater into the depths of the mining area and capture every moment with care. At Ijen's summit is the world's strongest natural sulfuric-acid lake. In the afternoon, travel to Banyuwangi pier and take a boat to Bali, then check into a hotel in Ubud.
DAY 10May 26 · Asia/JakartaDay 10: May 26 — Ubud–Hotel on Nusa Penida
Head to Ubud at sunrise for photography, where religious culture and beautiful rice terraces alternate. At Tegallalang Rice Terraces, you will recognize scenes from postcards and photographs; Jay Chou's 'Rice Field' music video was also filmed nearby. Swings and terraces are local highlights. In the afternoon, take a boat to Nusa Penida and check into the hotel.
DAY 11May 27 · Asia/JakartaDay 11: May 27 — Full-day photography on Nusa Penida
Photograph Kelingking Cliff, Diamond Beach, Atuh Beach, and the treehouse (a great place to fly drones freely).
DAY 12May 28 · Asia/JakartaDay 12: May 28 — Nusa Penida–Bali Airport
Transfer to the airport at a suitable time for the flight home. Flight arrangements: May 28: Bali Ngurah Rai–Hong Kong CX784/16:15/21:25
Trip staff
- Photography leader · Owen Ou
- IncludedLocal Chinese-speaking guide fees;
- ExcludedOverseas Chinese-speaking guide and driver tips totaling RMB 800 per person;
Transport
- IncludedAll ground transportation throughout;
- ExcludedAll airfare and taxes throughout;
- ExcludedHuman-powered cart fees for ascending and descending Ijen;
Travel details and reference schedules
The instructor's outbound and return flights are: Outbound: May 17: Shenzhen–Singapore SQ857/02:05/06:10 May 17: Singapore–Yogyakarta SQ8660/08:05/09:30 Return: May 28: Bali Ngurah Rai–Hong Kong CX784/16:15/21:25 Before booking transport, please confirm the departure and travel arrangements through this website. Included · All ground transportation throughout; Excluded · All airfare and taxes throughout; Excluded · Human-powered cart fees for ascending and descending Ijen; Excluded · visa fees, accommodation, meals, transportation, and national airfare adjustments, may be charged at cost,
Photography
- Mount Bromo
- Mount Sumbing
- Borobudur
Photography details
About the route Borobudur | Mount Sumbing | Mount Bromo Tumpak Sewu Waterfall | De Djawatan Forest | Nusa Penida Explore Java's temples, volcanoes, waterfalls and forests alongside Nusa Penida's coastal landscapes. The route combines landscape and documentary photography. Volcanic access and photography arrangements depend on local conditions. Mount Bromo Mount Bromo presents a starkly different scene: its immense volcanic basin is dark and deep, with a crater that seems bottomless. The volcanic basin and rugged terrain form a striking landscape. Specific viewpoints and photography arrangements await confirmation by the operator. The scene resembles an astonishing end-of-the-world landscape from a film. Mount Sumbing The itinerary plans sunrise photography at Mount Sumbing, followed by a visit to Nepal van Java village. The viewpoint, transport arrangements and any hiking or climbing await confirmation by the operator. Borobudur Morning light breaks through the Javanese mist as the world's largest Buddhist monument emerges among volcanoes and clouds. Built in the 9th century under the Sailendra dynasty, this sanctuary has 504 Buddha statues and 2,672 relief panels. Its ascending stone terraces form a three-dimensional Buddhist narrative, from the Jataka stories below to the serene upper levels. As golden sunrise reaches the upper stupas, shafts of light seem to bring the statues to life. Weathered stone evokes changing dynasties and intertwined religious traditions. Looking out across rice fields and volcanoes from the summit, the monument feels like a spiritual home preserved for a thousand years. Tumpak Sewu Waterfall Tumpak Sewu is a spectacular East Javanese landscape and one of Indonesia's most impressive waterfalls. Fed from the slopes of Mount Semeru, Java's highest peak, streams plunge over a broad escarpment to create a dramatic semicircular curtain of water, also described locally as a thousand-tiered waterfall. De Djawatan Forest Step into Java's De Djawatan Forest and enter a fantasy reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings. Century-old rain trees twist like giant serpents, while ferns and vines weave a green canopy. Flecks of golden light fall onto moss-covered paths. Nusa Penida Southeast of Bali, Nusa Penida offers contrasts between cliffs, beaches and blue water. At Kelingking Beach, a headland resembles a Tyrannosaurus rex. Photograph the coastline from designated viewpoints. Photo by Serene Broken Beach offers a natural coastal arch and bay, with compositions formed by the arch, surf and rock walls. Trip highlights Landscape and aerial photography Explore Java's volcanoes, waterfalls and daily life alongside Nusa Penida's coast. Instructors who have researched the route provide photography guidance, image reviews and post-processing advice. Drone flights must comply with local permissions and conditions; photographic results are not guaranteed. Mount Bromo Mount Sumbing Borobudur Tumpak Sewu Waterfall De Djawatan Forest Nusa Penida Included · Accommodation for 2 nights in five-star hotels, 7 nights in four-star hotels, and 2 nights in distinctive hotels nearest the photography locations (special note: 1 night in a three-star guesthouse at Tumpak Sewu Waterfall; at Mount Bromo, the closest two-star guesthouse is used for 2 nights to avoid leaving at midnight. Facilities are limited; you may bring your own sleeping bag. Thank you for your understanding); Included · Initial admission fees for photography attractions throughout; Included · Instructor: photography guidance and services from the accompanying instructor throughout.
Accommodation
- 11 nights
- ExcludedA single-room supplement of RMB 4,500 for the entire journey applies if a male or female participant has no roommate, or requests a single room;
- ExcludedTips for hotel porters, restaurant servers, and others are paid separately;
Accommodation details
11 nights Included · Accommodation for 2 nights in five-star hotels, 7 nights in four-star hotels, and 2 nights in distinctive hotels nearest the photography locations (special note: 1 night in a three-star guesthouse at Tumpak Sewu Waterfall; at Mount Bromo, the closest two-star guesthouse is used for 2 nights to avoid leaving at midnight. Facilities are limited; you may bring your own sleeping bag. Thank you for your understanding); Excluded · A single-room supplement of RMB 4,500 for the entire journey applies if a male or female participant has no roommate, or requests a single room; Excluded · Tips for hotel porters, restaurant servers, and others are paid separately; Excluded · visa fees, accommodation, meals, transportation, and national airfare adjustments, may be charged at cost,
Meals
- IncludedAll listed meal arrangements throughout;
- IncludedDrinking water daily; waste is not permitted;
- ExcludedTips for hotel porters, restaurant servers, and others are paid separately;
Meal details
Included · All listed meal arrangements throughout; Included · Drinking water daily; waste is not permitted; Excluded · Tips for hotel porters, restaurant servers, and others are paid separately; Excluded · visa fees, accommodation, meals, transportation, and national airfare adjustments, may be charged at cost,
Visa
- ExcludedIndonesian visa (the organizing team can assist with the application);
- Excludedor consular visa delays, the organizing team reserves the right to cancel or alter the itinerary. All additional costs, including extensions abroad,
- Excludedvisa fees, accommodation, meals, transportation, and national airfare adjustments, may be charged at cost,
A CLEAR PICTURE
Know what is included
Deposit in the operator’s published information
per personThis amount reflects the payment terms in the operator’s published information. When booking through this platform, follow the payment schedule shown at checkout.
Public prices may change. Checkout quotes expire at a stated time; your confirmed order records its price and payment deadlines.
Included
1. Accommodation for 2 nights in five-star hotels, 7 nights in four-star hotels, and 2 nights in distinctive hotels nearest the photography locations (special note: 1 night in a three-star guesthouse at Tumpak Sewu Waterfall; at Mount Bromo, the closest two-star guesthouse is used for 2 nights to avoid leaving at midnight. Facilities are limited; you may bring your own sleeping bag. Thank you for your understanding);
2. All listed meal arrangements throughout;
3. All ground transportation throughout;
4. Local Chinese-speaking guide fees;
5. Initial admission fees for photography attractions throughout;
6. Complimentary travel accident insurance;
7. No scheduled shopping-store visits throughout (independent browsing and shopping are welcome);
8. Drinking water daily; waste is not permitted;
9. Instructor: photography guidance and services from the accompanying instructor throughout.
Not included
1. All airfare and taxes throughout;
2. Indonesian visa (the organizing team can assist with the application);
3. Human-powered cart fees for ascending and descending Ijen;
4. Overseas Chinese-speaking guide and driver tips totaling RMB 800 per person;
5. A single-room supplement of RMB 4,500 for the entire journey applies if a male or female participant has no roommate, or requests a single room;
6. Tips for hotel porters, restaurant servers, and others are paid separately;
7. In circumstances involving force majeure, such as natural disasters, war, strikes, airline delays or cancellations,
or consular visa delays, the organizing team reserves the right to cancel or alter the itinerary. All additional costs, including extensions abroad,
visa fees, accommodation, meals, transportation, and national airfare adjustments, may be charged at cost,
but we will do everything within our ability to minimize participants' losses;
8. Any other additional expenses not expressly listed under inclusions;
9. Prices above exclude tax; if an invoice is required, the applicable invoice tax must be paid additionally;
10. Other personal expenses not mentioned.
Single-room supplements, additional local expenses and the final total must be confirmed in writing.
BEFORE YOU GO
What to know before you go
Availability and booking
Let us know if you’re interested in this trip. Availability is not updated in real time, so please contact us to check whether the trip is confirmed, how many places are available, and the final total and booking terms.
Trip information
[Transport] 1. Flights arranged by the organizing team use economy-class group tickets. Before tickets are issued, check the airline's rules for changes and refunds. 2. Flight, road and boat journey times may vary with conditions on the day. 3. The airlines and flight times listed are for guidance only. Flight changes may require minor adjustments to the itinerary. Please follow the final trip details sent before departure. [Accommodation] The total is based on two people sharing a room. We'll try to match solo travelers with a roommate of the same gender. If you prefer not to share, or no roommate is available, you must pay a single supplement for your own room. [Group meals] We aim to serve meals suited to Chinese tastes. We make sure everyone has enough to eat. [Photography] 1. Photography sessions follow the itinerary, but conditions on the day may affect how long we spend at each location. 2. Read the itinerary carefully and choose a trip that suits your health and circumstances. Skipping part of the itinerary for health or other personal reasons, or choosing not to use the arranged accommodation or transport, counts as voluntary withdrawal from those arrangements. You are responsible for your own safety while not taking part in the itinerary. 3. Stay with the group during photography sessions unless you have permission to leave. This does not apply during free time. The organizing team is not responsible for accidents that occur while you are away from the group. 4. Typhoons, blizzards or other events beyond our control may require changes to the itinerary. [Fuel surcharges] The organizing team reserves the right to adjust the amount payable if fluctuations in global oil markets lead to a substantial rise in fuel surcharges. If the team can absorb the increase, the amount payable will remain unchanged. [Before departure] 1. We'll send your final trip details no later than the day before departure. If arrangements are confirmed sooner, we'll let you know as soon as possible. 2. If the online itinerary differs from the final trip details sent before departure, the final trip details take precedence. [Optional activities at your own expense] Under the Tourism Law provisions prohibiting travel agencies from arranging optional paid activities, please contact the provider directly for details, charges and bookings if you wish to take part. If you need language assistance from a guide or tour leader, any help is provided in a personal capacity, whether paid or unpaid. It is not provided on behalf of the organizing team or the local tour operator. The organizing team is not involved in the payments, transactions or service standards for activities during free time. You are responsible for the outcome of those arrangements. The images above were taken by groups on the organizing team's previous Indonesia trips. Some hotel images are from the internet and will be removed if they infringe copyright.
Itinerary notes
Photography locations, accommodations and transportation are subject to final confirmation before departure. Weather and local conditions may affect the itinerary.
Hotel Accommodation Hotel accommodation near Borobudur 👇 Hotel accommodation in Solo 👇 Hotel accommodation in Bromo 👇 Hotel accommodation near Sewu 👇 Hotel accommodation in Banyuwangi 👇 Hotel accommodation on Nusa Penida, Bali 👇 Hotel accommodation in Ubud 👇
Itinerary dates use Asia/Jakarta. Flight, transfer and other times follow the time zone stated for each location. Please confirm any time without a stated time zone before departure.